D-handle.



No. 865,471. PATENTED SEPT. 10, 196?. T. W. WRIGHT. D-HANDLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAYQ, 1907.

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THOMAS 1V. WRIGHT, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA.

D-HANDLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 10, 1907,

Application filed lday 9,1907. $erial No. 372,797-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS W. WRIGHT, of Anderson, county of Madison, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful D-Handle; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters refer to like parts.

This invention relates to an improved construction of D-handles for spades, shovels, pitchforks and other implements.

One object of this invention is to form the D-handle out of material other than a solid piece of wood, and independently of the stock, in order that the cost of making such handles may be cheapenecl. To make the D-handle and stock integral requires much more wood than if the stock alone be made of wood and since the price of wood is high, a solid wood handle is rapidly becoming too expensive to make. In accomplishing this object I make a metal frame or skeleton D-handle, and 1 preferably combine with such metal skeleton frame some suitable plastic material, such as wood pulp, papier-mach or the like, so that the handle is light and strong and has manyof the characteristics of a wooden handle, as it is easy on the hand and otherwise agreeable to the person using it.

The full nature of my invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the finished handle with a part. of the stock for the implement partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a central vertical section on the Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the device before the plastic material is applied thereto.

The D-handle is made separate from the wooden stock 10 that forms a part of the implement. A metal skeleton frame is formed preferably of a malleable casting having a ferrule 11 adapted to fit over the end of the stock and be secured thereto by a rivet 12. In connection with this ferrule a 1) is formed of the metal bar 13 that is integrally connected with the lower end of the ferrule and extends up to and is secured to each end of the metal cross bar 14. A substantially semicircular bar 15 is located between the bars, extending from said bars at a point just below the bar 14, and the lower central portion of the bar 15 is secured to the ferrule by the two connecting plates 16. The cross bar 14 has in it holes 17 for use in securing pieces of wood or other material thereto for forming the hand grip.

In manufacture this skeleton D-handle, all parts of which are integral, is placed in a suitable mold and wood pulp or other plastic material 20 is filled in between the bars 13 and'15 and about the ferrule and also plates 16 and the cross bar 14. The plastic material is filled in around the bar 14 until it is substantially round but of the same general shape as the cross bars of ordinary wooden D-handles so that the same will be of the proper dimensions for convenient gripping with the hand while in constant use. Likewise, the plastic material filled in between the bars 13 and 15 is of substantially the same thickness as the ferrule and of the corresponding portion of the ordinary wooden D-handle. This forms a very light, strong and comfortable D-handle that is also cheap as compared with wooden D-handles.

I do not wish my invention to be limited to any particular kind of plastic material or other means applied to the skeleton frame for filling it out so it will be comfortable to the hand while using it. Nor do I wish to be limited to the application of plastic material to both parts of the handle as some may prefer the D-handle to be a skeleton frame excepting the upper cross portion which is gripped by the hand. Nor do I wish to be limited to any particular details of arrangement of the skeleton frame as its functions are to reinforce and hold the plastic material in place and give strength to the finished article. It is noticeable that this D handle will outlive one stock and therefore can be transferred from one tool to another, if desired.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A D-handle consisting of a ferrule, a bar extending from each side thereof upwardly, a transversely extending hand grip between the upper ends of said bars, a substantially semicircular bar between said side bars, and plastic material filled in and upon the frame thus formed for filling out and finishing the handle.

"2. A D-handle consisting of a ferrule, a bar extending from each side thereof upward, a transversely extending hand grip between the upper ends of said bars, and a substantially semi-circular bar between said side bars, the lower end of said semi-circular bar being secured to the upper end of the ferrule.

3. A D-handle consisting of a ferrule, a bar extending from each side thereof upward, a transverse bar connecting the upper ends of said side bars, a substantially semicircular bar between said side bars, plates connecting the lower end of said semi-circular bar with the lower end of the ferrule, and plastic material filled in between the side bars and semi-circular bar and also about said transverse bar at the upper end, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of the witnesses herein named.

THOMAS W. WRIGHT.

Witnesses HUGH HILL, SHERMAN MAKEPEACE. 

